Friends With Benefits

by Lisa Swift

  ‘Well, he introduced me to Oliver and I bought them a hot dog each, so that’s progress. He seems a nice lad, his friend.’

  ‘Yes, they’ve been best mates a while. They’re well suited, I think. They look out for each other.’

  Lexie reached up to rub her temples. She had a throbbing headache after a long day at the festival and her first big row with Theo, and being forced into making small talk wasn’t helping.

  ‘You look knackered, Lex,’ Daryl said gently.

  ‘I am. Early night for me tonight.’

  ‘You’re sure there’s nothing else wrong?’

  ‘I told you. Long day, that’s all.’

  He went to stand behind her as she chopped spring onions and started massaging her shoulders with his fingertips. Lexie tensed at his touch.

  ‘What’re you doing, Daz?’

  ‘Giving you a shoulder rub. You used to like me doing this when you’d had a stressful day.’

  ‘Daryl, I told you—’

  ‘Come on, Lex, it’s only a massage. Although…’ He leaned around to softly kiss her neck. ‘…I remember when you used to like me doing this after a stressful day too,’ he whispered.

  She turned to face him, and he put his arms around her waist.

  ‘Daryl, you need to stop,’ she said firmly. ‘Look, I don’t want to start an argument when we’ve been getting along but I told you before: I’m pleased you’re making progress with Connor, but I just don’t see you like that any more, I’m sorry.’

  ‘You could if you tried, surely,’ he said, his voice husky and insinuating. ‘Like I said, we’d be starting again rather than picking up where we left off. Isn’t that worth a shot? You loved me once, Lex. Found me attractive… exciting…’ He trailed his fingertips over her hips. ‘Sexy.’

  ‘I did, but I don’t now.’ She pushed his hands away from her body.

  ‘You might be able to again, if you just gave it a chance. Don’t you think Connor deserves the opportunity to have his dad back in his life full-time?’

  ‘No he fucking doesn’t,’ a voice growled. Daryl hastily moved aside, and Lexie saw that Connor had appeared in the doorway and was watching them with an irate look on his face.

  ‘Jesus, kid,’ Daryl said, patting his heart. ‘You really need to stop sneaking up on people like that.’

  ‘Yeah, you’d love that, wouldn’t you? Get me out of the way.’

  ‘Now, Connor—’

  ‘Don’t “now, Connor” me like I’m the one who’s done something bad.’ Connor shook his head. ‘You know, Dad, I actually believed you this time. I really thought you meant it when you said it was me you were here for. Jesus Christ, I can’t believe I was so stupid!’

  ‘I am here for you.’

  ‘Yeah? Then you remember my rules, right? My rules, that you agreed to and shook hands on? You promised you’d leave Lexie alone.’

  ‘Your stepmother and I were just… having a discussion.’

  ‘I’m not an idiot, Dad. I saw it all. I saw you touching her even after she asked you to stop, which everyone knows is a proper dick thing to do to girls. I heard you trying to use me as blackmail to get her to go back to you. That’s sick, Dad!’ His voice sank to an angry whisper. ‘I’ll never, ever believe a word you say to me again.’

  ‘Connor, sweetie, calm down a little,’ Lexie said gently.

  ‘Why the fuck should I calm down?’ Connor’s cheeks were feverish, and he sounded like he was on the verge of tears. ‘He promised, Lexie. He said he wanted to make it right with me but all he wanted was to use me to get you back. He doesn’t care about me, or want me in his life – he doesn’t even know me! He can’t tell you a thing about me except that I like Star Wars, and that’s only because he saw my posters. He doesn’t know what my favourite food is, or the stuff I like to do, or even… or even that I’m bi.’

  ‘Your favourite food’s macaroni cheese.’ Daryl frowned. ‘Hang on, you’re what?’

  ‘I’m bi, Dad. Bisexual – you know what that means, right? They had that in whatever bit of the past you come from?’

  ‘I know what it means, young man, thank you.’

  ‘Yeah, well, finding that out’s been a pretty major deal for me this year and you don’t even know a thing about it. You don’t know why me and Soph broke up, or that Oli’s my boyfriend now—’

  ‘Oli? Your best friend Oli who I met today?’

  ‘He’s not just my best friend. We’re together, Dad. Like, dating. Maybe if you ever called to actually ask me about myself, if you even cared who I was any more, you might know some of this stuff.’

  ‘I can’t… Jesus, Connor.’ Daryl turned to Lexie, his brow knitting into an enraged scowl. ‘When the hell were you going to tell me all this then, Lex? My son’s been going through this massive change that could affect his whole life and you didn’t think I had a right to know about it?’

  ‘No I didn’t,’ she said, frowning. ‘Only Connor gets to decide when, or if, he wants to tell you something like that. I’m his mum, not your personal spy.’

  ‘Except you’re not his mum, are you, Lexie?’ he countered, his face pale with anger. ‘His mum’s dead.’

  ‘Lexie is too my mum!’ Connor’s fists had clenched so tight his knuckles had turned white. ‘You throw that in her face every time you two fight, but she’s been my mum since I was seven and loved me and everything, and I reckon that counts just as much as if she’d had me as a baby. Her and Theo have been more of a mum and dad to me than anything you’ve ever been. All you care about is yourself, and how to get the things you want. I wish Theo was my dad and not you. No wonder Lexie loves him more than she ever—’

  He stopped, looking horrified at what he’d let slip.

  ‘What?’ Daryl turned to Lexie. ‘What?’

  ‘Nothing,’ she murmured. ‘It’s nothing, Daryl.’

  ‘Theo? Theo’s your… he’s your lover? Christ, Lexie!’

  ‘Daryl, just stay calm, can you?’

  ‘So that’s it! That’s why you didn’t want to know when I suggested giving us another chance. That… that backstabbing little shit! He’s been round here screwing you every day since the day I left the country, hasn’t he?’

  ‘Now you’re being ridiculous.’

  ‘Or before, for all I know,’ Daryl said, carrying on as if he hadn’t heard her. ‘That’s why he strolls into my house like he owns the place: because he’s been doing exactly the same thing to my wife. Fuck!’ He shook his head. ‘I should’ve known he’d try to get his revenge on me somehow for what happened with the restaurant. Not content with sleeping with my wife, he’s managed to turn my son against me as well.’

  ‘No, Daryl, because as hard as it might be to believe, this isn’t actually about you,’ Lexie snapped. ‘This is about Theo and me. What we feel for each other.’

  ‘Oh for fuck’s sake, Lexie, don’t be such a child!’ he exploded. ‘He’s using you, can’t you see that? All he ever wanted was to get back at me for this so-called Great Betrayal, and you were naive enough to open your legs for him. All his life Theo’s been jealous of me. Oh, I bet he’s so proud now he thinks he can finally be me.’

  ‘He’d never want to be you!’ Connor yelled. ‘He’s a better person than you’ll ever be, Dad. He’s not selfish like you, and he actually cares about me and Lexie. We were all happy until you came back.’

  Daryl stared at him for a moment, silent and seething, his breath ragged.

  ‘So he’s completely poisoned your mind against me then, has he?’ he said finally in a voice so low it was almost a whisper. ‘I should’ve known there was a reason you were dead set against building any kind of relationship with me.’

  ‘Right. Because it couldn’t just be that you’ve been acting like a dick to me for most of my entire life.’

  ‘And you,’ Daryl growled, spinning to face Lexie. ‘I trust you with my son and you do what? Bring another man into my home for sex? His godfather, no less – my oldest friend! Then you hide t
hings from me, never saying a word while Connor’s getting into fights and sleeping his way around his school friends, both male and female? What’s next, letting him join a cult?’

  Lexie shook her head in disgust. ‘Sleeping his way around his school friends? Jesus, Daryl, what world are you in?’

  ‘Well, I suppose it shouldn’t surprise me that he’s obsessed with sex, with the sort of example he’s been set at home,’ Daryl went on, ignoring her. ‘I mean, Theo Blake, Lexie, Christ! You’d seriously talk about being in love with a man like that? He works his way through women like bloody penny sweets and he never has just one on the go at a time. Since we were sixteen he’s been that way. You do know that, right?’

  ‘You’re wrong. Lexie’s been a great mum to me,’ Connor said, sticking out his chin. ‘She’s had to do everything on her own and even when I’ve been a total brat she’s been there for me, and Theo too. They’d never give up on me, no matter what stupid shit I did. Those guys are my family now, not you.’

  Even through her anger and panic, Lexie managed to flash him a fond smile.

  ‘You would think that,’ Daryl snapped. ‘They’ve brainwashed you, Connor. Don’t worry, I know it wasn’t your fault.’

  Connor rolled his eyes. ‘Yeah, whatever. And where the hell were you while I was being “brainwashed” then? Because it wasn’t fucking here.’

  ‘I was trying to earn enough to make sure you had food, clothes, a home, that sort of minor thing. I’m sorry if living off my money all these years was so offensive to you both.’

  Lexie went to Connor, who was visibly shaking with anger and hurt, and put a supportive arm around his waist. He put an arm around her too, and she took a deep breath to calm herself.

  ‘Look, come on. Let’s stop yelling and talk about this like civilised adults,’ she said as evenly as she could manage.

  ‘Oh, no. The time for talking’s past.’ Daryl marched forward and jerked Connor away from her by his elbow. ‘Connor, go upstairs and pack a bag. We’re going.’

  Connor frowned. ‘What? I’m not going anywhere with you.’ He yanked his arm from his dad’s grip. ‘Don’t you touch me, either.’

  ‘Yes you bloody are, you’re going to Manchester to stay in my flat. I’m not leaving you in this vipers’ nest to have poison poured into your ears a second longer.’

  ‘Daryl, don’t be ridiculous,’ Lexie said in a low voice. ‘You know you can’t take him against his will.’

  ‘You think I can’t take him, do you? He’s my son, Lexie, and he’s a child. I have every right to remove him from undesirable influences, both morally and legally, regardless of what he believes he wants. I’m acting in his best interests, which is more than you’ve been doing while you’ve been getting your cheap thrills riding Theo bloody Blake.’

  Connor looked helplessly at Lexie. ‘That isn’t true, is it? He can’t really force me to go with him?’

  ‘No, it isn’t true.’ She gave him a squeeze. ‘Don’t worry, my love. You’re not going anywhere.’

  ‘He certainly is, unless you want me to get the police involved,’ Daryl growled. ‘You don’t have a single legal right to stop me, Lexie; not one.’

  ‘I’ve got a parental responsibility agreement.’

  ‘That doesn’t overrule my rights as his father. By law, he’s got one parent only and it’s me.’

  ‘Daryl, this is cruel,’ she said in a low voice. ‘Please, you have to reconsider. He’s distressed, look.’ She nodded to Connor, who was pale and trembling, his eyes filled with tears. ‘Is that really what you want, to cause your son even more pain? He’s going back to school next week. Just calm down and we’ll talk about it properly.’

  ‘All right, on one condition,’ Daryl said, his eyes narrowing.

  She frowned. ‘What condition?’

  ‘You end whatever you’ve got going on with Theo. Right now.’

  ‘What?’ she whispered.

  ‘I won’t have him being a part of my son’s life, not now I know what he’s capable of. I want all ties severed between this household and that man or I’m removing Connor from its influence this minute.’

  ‘Daryl, come on. This is childish and wrong: somewhere inside, you must know that.’

  ‘I’m sorry but those are my terms.’ He snatched her phone from the table and held it out to her. ‘Go on. Let me hear you do it. Otherwise my next call, if you insist on obstructing my rights as Connor’s father, will be to the police.’

  Lexie looked at Connor, took in the helpless, frightened expression on his face, and bowed her head.

  ‘OK,’ she whispered, pressing her eyes closed. ‘If that’s what it takes… I’ll do it.’

  She reached for the phone but Connor put his hand on her arm.

  ‘Please don’t,’ he said quietly. ‘I really don’t want you to do that.’

  ‘Connor, I have to.’

  ‘No. I won’t let you, Lexie. You’d be sad forever and I’d know it was my fault.’

  ‘Sweetie, nothing about this – nothing – is your fault.’

  ‘I won’t let you break up with Theo. It isn’t right to make you do that.’ He squared his shoulders, although his Adam’s apple was bobbing with suppressed emotion. ‘I’ll… I’ll go with Dad then. If that’s what he wants.’

  ‘Con, no,’ Lexie said, shaking her head. ‘I can’t let you.’

  ‘You don’t have any choice,’ Daryl said.

  She turned to look at him, feeling more helpless than she ever had in her life.

  ‘Daryl, please,’ she whispered. ‘I’m begging you not to do this dreadful thing. Don’t take my boy from me. I’ll do anything you want.’

  ‘He never was yours, Lexie. I’m sorry, but you’ve proven yourself unfit to care for him and so I’m left with no choice but to remove him from your and your boyfriend’s influence before any more damage is done.’ Daryl clapped Connor on the back. ‘I’m glad you’ve finally seen sense, lad. Go pack a bag and we can get the rest of your things sent on.’

  ‘Can I say goodbye to Lexie?’ Connor demanded. ‘That’s OK, isn’t it?’

  Daryl nodded. ‘Go on.’

  Connor put his arms around Lexie, who gave him a tight squeeze.

  ‘Don’t worry,’ she whispered. ‘I promise I’ll get you home again. On my life, I promise. I’ll see a lawyer as soon as I can.’

  Connor let out a sob. ‘I’ll miss you loads.’

  ‘I’ll miss you too, my love. Ring me when you can, OK? We’ll get this all sorted out, you’ll see.’

  ‘I wouldn’t give the boy any false hopes if I were you,’ Daryl said. ‘Connor. Bag.’

  Connor let Lexie go and flashed his father a look of pure, unadulterated hate before turning to trudge upstairs.

  When he’d gone, Lexie snatched her phone from Daryl and pushed hard against his chest, making him stumble backwards.

  ‘Of all the shitty things you’ve done to that boy, Daryl Carson, this is by far the worst,’ she said in a low voice. ‘Do not fucking think this is over, you son of a bitch. I’m going to throw everything I’ve got at this. I’m going to fight you every step of the way until my son is back at home with me where he belongs.’

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  ‘Are you ever going to take Table Four’s bill over?’ Claire asked Theo as she sailed past him with a tray of Woolton Pie.

  ‘Hmm?’

  ‘Table Four. She asked for her bill five minutes ago.’ She stopped a moment to look at him. ‘What’s up with you anyway? You’ve been away with the fairies all evening.’

  ‘Sorry, just… daydreaming. I’ll sort it now.’ Theo pulled his gaze away from the beer pump he’d been scowling at and rang up the bill for Table Four.

  It had been a busy evening at the restaurant, packed with festival stragglers keen to keep the party going. Theo was glad they were down to the last few customers as the clock ticked towards seven p.m., closing time. He’d been struggling to concentrate ever since his fight with Lexie.

&nbs
p; Bloody idiot that he’d been! Of course she was right. He’d been totally out of order to get jealous of Daryl like that. After all, what better way was there to convince the woman of your dreams that you’re the one for her than by accusing her of wanting to be with another man, right? When Lexie had stormed off earlier, she’d really looked like she never wanted to see him again. Hell, he’d probably sent her straight into Daryl’s arms with his pathetic insecurities.

  The thought of it made his heart plunge. He knew he was doing it again, the exact thing that had driven her away, and yet there it still was: this childish, gnawing jealousy of his former friend, who was still lucky enough to be married to the woman Theo loved. And if she did decide to give Daryl another chance, where would that leave him? Without Lexie and Connor in his life, it felt like there was no point to anything any more.

  He forced a smiled for the customer at Table Four as he put her bill down in front of her, although smiling was the last thing he felt like doing. Would she still tip if he burst into tears over her? She might offer him a Kleenex, at least.

  ‘Sorry for the wait,’ he said. ‘Cash or card?’

  ‘Card, please.’

  He’d noticed the woman before, around the village. She was the sort of woman you would notice in Leyholme: tall and slender, very attractive and always immaculately dressed. Today she was in a sexy pencil dress with fishnet stockings, appropriate for a wartime pin-up girl, with her blonde hair fashioned into shining Veronica Lake waves.

  She looked up at Theo through long lashes, smiling at him while he tapped at the card reader. So ingrained was his response to those sorts of signals from women, he almost found himself sending the appropriate body language back – until his brain overruled other parts of his anatomy and reminded him not to hold eye contact for too long.

  ‘I like your costume,’ she told him. ‘You suit the navy.’

  ‘RAF, actually. But thanks.’ Ignoring the provocative little smile, he passed her the card reader. When she was done, he tore off her receipt and handed it to her.

  ‘I did include a tip, but it doesn’t seem enough when I know you must have been hard at work all day,’ she said. ‘Perhaps this might make up for it though.’